1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to network transaction handling. More specifically, the invention relates to the redirecting of network transactions under a stateful protocol.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the continued increase in the usage of electronic systems for the storage and distribution of information, it has become desirable for users of such systems to have access to ever larger storage facilities. Particularly when working with graphical and video information, the amount of storage that may be required can become much larger than the amount of storage available in a single disk drive or other storage medium.
In addition to an ever increasing demand for storage, there has also been an increase in demand for remote access and distribution of such electronically stored information. For instance, large database applications may support hundreds or even thousands of concurrent users, all of whom require access to the information which may be within a single database, even though the users may be dispersed across networks which span large geographic ranges.
Various systems have been developed which provide access to an aggregation of storage via an electronic network. Generally such systems involve large numbers of individual storage units arranged in a variety of architectures and accessible via the network. However, simply providing access to a large number of individual resources may present difficulties in configuration, maintenance and performance.
Therefore, there is a continued need for improved systems and methods for allowing client computers on electronic networks to have efficient, reliable access to large storage resources which may be operated and maintained effectively within the structure of existing computer networks.